Switch



March l-, 1932. F. w. NoFFs 1,847,097

swITcH Filed April 5, 1928 s `sheets-sheet 1 March 1., 1932.

F. W. NOFFS SWITCH 5 Sheets-Sheet l W f 20 L 1'5 if PRO; iOHR FIG.14

HG; :QFGHL INVENTOR:

FRED W NoPFS @y mpcwbwm,

Marh 1, 1932.

F. W. NOFFS SWITCH Filed April 5, 1928 3 SheetsSheet 3 F/ca. 10. 57n

INVENTOR:

FRED VV. No1-"Fs Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITEDv STATES FRED W. NOFFS, OFIBELLWOOD, ILLINOIS SWITCH A Application filed April 5, 1928. Serial No.267,531.

vehicle signalling switches.

The principal object of the invention Vis to provide apparatus which canbe manually operated by the driver of thevehicle to indicate to otherdrivers and pedestrians both at his front and rear, and tothe sides, ofhis intention to make a right or left hand turn.

Another object of the invention is to provide an yimproved device whichcan be attached lin a convenient position on the steer# ing column whereit will not interfere with the operation of the steering wheel'. Afurther object relates to the provision of improved signal lamps,particularly adapted for use with the apparatus.

Other objects relate to various featuresof construction and arrangementof parts which will beapparent from a-consideration of the followingspecification and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view off-a contactl carrying body member andcasing, parts bepose of clearness.

5 tudinal section of the body member.

ing broken away and detached for the pur- Figure 2 is a broken view of asteering column showing the improved device thereon. f v

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a slide member, taken on'line .3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of thek slide taken on line 4--4 ofFigure 3. v f

Figure 5 is a broken central vertical longi- Figure 6 is a transversesection ofthe body member taken on line 6-46 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan `viewof-` a casing cover. Figure 8 is broken sideelevation of the casing and cover. y

Figure 9 is an end elevation thereof. y Figure 10'is a plan view of amodified form of body member lin the casing with the cover removed. y y

Figure 11 is a top plan view of a modified cover. A l Figure 12 is aside elevation of the cover. Figure 13 is a diagram of theelectricycircuit. Y v

Figure 14 is a diagram of a slightly diierl ent circuit. 1

in the drawings 10 indicates generally the body of the signalling deviceand is molded preferably of insulating material, such as balelite. Thebody 10 has central longitudinal slide channels 11, extendingtransversely from which are channels 12, which are arranged in series ofthree on each side of each of the channels 11. The channels 12communicate with the narrower, longitudinal channels 13 whichin turncommunicate, at their inner ends, withthe slots or passages 14 whichextend downwardly through the enlarged central portion 15 of the body10.

Angular or L-shaped contacts 16, 17 and 18 are provided in each seriesof channels 12, the contacts at their bases being housedk flush in thebase of the channels and being secured therein by screws 20 as shown inFigure 5. The contacts 17, 18 of each series are electrically connectedby ak strip 21 inserted flush in the side wall of the channel 11.

To each of the contacts 16 and 18 conductors 22 `and 23 pass throughchannels 13 inte and through the passages 14 to the conduit 24 (seeFigure and ,form parts of the electric circuit hereinafter described.The contact 18 of each kseries can be omitted and the conductor 23 mayin that case be connected directly to contact 17 instead of through theconducting strip 21 but at present the first arrangement is preferred.

An opening 25 is provided in each half of the bodylO for receiving asmallelectric light bulb 26, the conductors for whichv pass through theslots 27 into channels 13 and thence through the passages 14 through theconduit 24.

Each conductor 22` of theleft hand side of the device connects with oneof the two left hand signal lamps FL or RL kthe former beingv mounted atappropriate places at the.

front and rear portions of the vehicle, such as on the fenders. Theother conductors 23 at the left hand portion of the body make connectionwith the battery of thevehicle, other. leads from the lamps beingprovided to complete the circuit to the lamps when the contacts 16, 17are bridged. The front right and rear right lamps, indicated as FR andRR in the diagram shown in Figure 14, are similarly lighted when theright hand contacts 1G, l? are bridged. in other Words, by bridging thetwo series oil contacts of either the right or left hand side of thedevice, the Corresponding 'front and rear signal lampe will be lightedto indicate that the driver intende to malte a corresponding turn.

he meane: 'for closing the circuits of the comprise Slide membersarranged to slide in one of rlhe memberS 28 are ot inH i rterial andhave longitudinal el annals 29 .1 'thei inf-per .f-fnitaees in which arepositioned frictioual retaining Sheen el i in Figure 3 each shoe 30 ha#`thread- Open inge which receive Screws El, the hoede of which are(lifpoeed in rece:C 32 'termed signalling lampe i eh oi' which is in thebottoni 'fa'fe of :he slide. Springs 33 exert presSine upwardly on theshoes 30 ich Contact with Vthe inside oi the El ot th e: ning rllhisconstructnre holds the elim in cireuit opening or c'wing peeiton againetaccidental displace. .i nt.

`"lecured l screws 3G to the ribel 37 of 1. the

f 5 f .vw Y f! 1 filide 8 are conlacae Tlf. or il f1 ff- :r shape. theleit ha: oi. Figure l le l o'f crear shown in pose bridge the contaseries. In this ehe-wn in dehxched re ation iter the purpo 1 ile theright hand Slide is ,1 Je U1( f-J .fw

l lui; iil UJHL:

of both rind t? et the righ and right i i .de however r' iii-sans of thel i a ot Ll() in the ot zhe casin i e en .i e tl which project@ througho renin fr 3F' the end oi the easing 85. The handle 1.-: Secured bymeans of :i aeree' which )asses through the Slide QS. A dust ard. 45E isSecured between the handle 39 and a sparing waz-.ner iti carried by the.screw 412. he guard 4?; ie :spaced to :slide along the top of the caeingcover and elosleeA the ilot ll0 to errelnde dus? and other i i.. handle39 n nl foreign n The eo tffetf; Sith as will et on the horizonhilpertion; ot tie t4 lG, l?

and alf-se abut aa'ainat the Veiligm thereof and than insure goedelectrical e oortioor;

necti( es When the .ff-:lide is circuit clef-sing position. The shoes:B0, in addition to holdp; the slides afi displacement, also tend Y etLhe contact oetween t e members E he angular faeeS oli the con'iaet and17 as the to increzee the elosenenaI t l' 5% and will be eeen. TheScrew-1 Sl provide means tor varyin a frietional contact of the Shoes;30 with the easnough une il-7. 1vire 23.

and returns t l upper contacts 1G, lia Wire 227 and wire 4S to theattery. Current flows 'trom wire 23 Vtln'eugli Wire L119 to thx rearleft light and through Wire 5i) to the tell `ale light 2G, thence toWire Q3, c mtacte lo, 17 ivi 22 and wire el?? to Vthe lnittery. Theopposi or right hand circuit. are similar. It will be noticed that thelighte and eorrosspoiniling tell tale lighte are in Seri i: and hencethe condition oli the rear lightsy will be indicated by the tell timelights. The 'front signal linht; are visible to the driver from hieposi. ion in the peat.

The casing 85 for the body l0 may be secured to the steering column 5lbeneath the steering Wheel 52 by any approved means. For instance it maybe clamped in position by means of threaded flanged ineinher` 53, 54,the column 5l being correspondingly threaded. The body l0 has a centralopen ing 55 whereby it can be positioned on the column when the steeringWheel and asso ciated portions are removed. rChe casing and cover aresimilarly apertnred. In this 'torni of the invention the coier isprel'erably made in three sections Sala, 3M and 340 as shown in Figures'.7 and S. rlfhe sectione-y 'h-), 340 are removable :tor convenience ofinetallation, repair or inspection and are provided with Windows 5Gbeneath which are poeh tioned the tell tale lights 26. The corel':sections 34o, 340 may be flanged, as, indicated in Figurev 8, throughwhich flanges set eerewfs may pass for securing the sections inposition.

In Figures l0 to l2 inclusive ie illust 'ated a modified torni olI theinngrovements in which the body member 5i' is shown divided transverselythrough the center te lin-.nii two Similar sections 57a. The easing 58.,and cover 59 are also each formed in two seetioins, the casing sections;being hinged at (3() and having flanges Gl, Gl by meaney of which theycan be clamped in position in the column Without removing the steeringWheel.. The body sections` 5S5 58 can then be iunorteiil and the coversect-ions then positioned on the :asing and secured by screWS G2. ylhec; sing sections 58 may be provided with semi-cylindrical flanges 64wl'iereby by meanss of set screws G-l, the casing canbe secured to thesteering column.

From the above description it will be seen that the driver of. a vehicleequi pped with the present improvements, can indi fate a contemplatedright or lett turn by pushing' iu the appropriate slide 28. Thisoperation can be ellected by merely pushing on one et the handles 1l andWhen the turn has been c0mlight h pleted the device can be returned toneutral or oil' position, by moving the slide in the opposite directionwhich can best be accomplished byusing the vertical handle 39.

The device has few parts to get out of order and is positive inoperation'and gives a signal to persons at both sides o the vehicle dueto the triple lens lamp.

In Figure 14 another diagram of the signailing circuits is shown inwhich the front and rear signal lamps of each sideV of the vehicle andthe corresponding pilot lamp are arranged in parallel whereby when therespective slide or switch members are moved to closed position all saidlamps will be lighted as in the circuit shown in Figure 13. However, thepilot lamp will be lighted independently of the other lamps and servesmerely to indicate to the driver that the switch is closed. Where thiscircuit is used the sockets of the signalling lamps, especially the rearones, will be of the multiple type to carry two or more parallel lampsas a precaution against failure of the signals should one of the lightbulbsburn out.

Although I have shown certain features of my improvements for thepurpose of illustration it will be apparent that various changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as denedin the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A circuit controlling device comprising a body member of insulatingmaterial, said body having transverse channels therein and longitudinalchannels extending inwardly from the ends thereof, a slide in eachhorizontal channel, a U-shaped circuit closing member on each side ofeach slide member having its ends extending into certain of saidtransverse channels, contacts within said transverse channels adapted tobe bridged by said closing members when said slides are moved to oneeXtreme position in the channels, a covered casing enclosing the bodymember and slides, and hand operable means extending through said casingfor operating said slides.

2. A signal device comprising a body member formed of molded insulatingmaterial, the body having a central opening for receiving the steeringcolumn of a vehicle, said body having centrally disposed longitudinalchannels in the upper face thereof, contact members adjacent thechannels, a

In witness whereof I have subscribed my y name.

FRED. w. Norrs.

slide member in each of said channels provided with circuit closingdevices adapted to engage the respective contacts for contr0llingsuitable signalling circuits, the body having additional conductorchannels in said face substantially parallel with said first channelsand providing access to said con-- tacts on the side of the latterremoved from said lirst channels, saidconductor channels terminating indownward passages adjacent Y

